Air-propelled boat



J. VAN VELDHUIZEN ETAL July 5, 1966 AIR-PROPELLED BOAT 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed July 10, 1964 Fig. 2

John Van Ve/dhu/zen Edna M. VanVe/dhuizen y 1966 J. VAN VELDHUIZEN ETAL3,

AIR-PROPELLED BOAT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 10. 1964 Fig. 3 6:8 72

Ja /m Van V/d/ru/zen Edna M. Van Ve/dhu/zen 1N VL'NTORS United StatesPatent 3,259,097 AIR-PROPELLED BOAT John Van Veldhuizen and Edna M. VanVeldhuizen, both of R0. Box 27, Vacation Village, Plantation Key,Homestead, Fla.

Filed July 10, 1964, Ser. No. 381,693 23 Claims. (Cl. 115-15) Thisinvention relates to a novel and useful air-propelled boat and morespecifically to a boat designed to be propelled by air, to be buoyed upby air, and to be steered by lateral discharges of air.

The air propelled boat of the instant invention includes high capacityair pump means including an air inlet at the forward end of the boat anda pair of air outlets at the rear end of the boat. A pair of ruddermembers are mounted for oscillation about an upstanding axis and arepositioned rearwardly of the rearwardly facing outlets for the air pumpmeans. Accordingly, it may be seen that the rudders may be oscillated inunison in a conventional manner for steering the boat as it is beingpropelled forwardly.

In addition, the air propelled boat of the instant invention includesopposite side ports or openings including flap valve means for varyingthe exhausting of air through said openings while simultaneously varyingthe direction of the discharge of air from said ports or openings. Inthis manner, the air discharged from the opposite side ports may bedi-rected forwardly so as to act as a braking for the air-propelledboat.

Finally, the air-propelled boat of the instant invention includesopposite side and bow portions which project below the bottom of theboat so as to define depending walls of a rearwardly opening pocketdisposed beneath the bottom of the boat. The air pump means alsoincludes outlets which open into the aforementioned rearwardly openingpocket and thereby enable a portion of the weight of the boat to bebuoyed and the wetted area of the hull to be substantially reduced. Theports or outlets for buoying up the air-propelled boat are communicatedwith the air passage means in which the air pump means is disposed andvalve meansis provided for selectively communicating the air passagemeans with the outlet ports or openings disposed beneath the bottom ofthe boat. In this manner, the air-propelled boat may be selectivelybuoyed up as desired and thereby may be adapted to function moreefliciently in various types of seas.

The main object of this invention is to provide an airpropelled boatincluding air pump means for propelling, steering and partially buoyingup the hull of the airpropelled boat.

Another object of this invention is to provide an airpropelled boatincluding control means for laterally defleeting a rearward discharge ofair from the boat utilized for propulsion purposes whereby the boat maybe steered.

Still another object of this invention is to provide an air-propelledboat including means by which a portion of the air discharged therefrommay be deflected forwardly so as to enable the air pump means to alsofunction as a brake.

Still another object of this invention is to provide an air-propelledboat including means for discharging a portion of the quantity of airpumped by the air pump means thereof into a rearwardly opening pocketdefined beneath the bottom of the boat hull.

A still further object of this invention is to provide an air-propelledboat including structural features readily adaptable for construction invarious sizes.

Still another object of this invention is to provide an air propelledboat including control. means for readily simultaneously turning,increasing or decreasing the buoyancy of, and directing at least aportion of the air discharged by said air pump means forwardly of thehull of the boat. In this manner, it may be seen that the boat of theinstant invention is highly maneuverable and therefore easy to operatein close quarters.

A final object of this invention to be specifically enumerated herein isto provide an air-propelled boat constructed in accordance with thepreceding objects which will conform to conventional forms ofmanufacture, be of simple construction and easy to use so as to providea device that will be economically feasible, long lasting and relativelytrouble-free in operation.

These together with other objects and advantages which will becomesubsequently apparent reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, whereinlike numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the air-propelled boat of the instantinvention shown with portions thereof being broken away to more clearlyillustrate the structural details thereof;

FIGURE 2 is a bottom plan view of the boat hull with portions thereofbeing broken away and shown in section;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary top plan view of the air-propelledboat shown with portions thereof broken away and illustrated inhorizontal sections;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary longitudinal vertical sectional view takensubstantially upon the plane indicated by section line 4-4 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken substantiallyupon a plane indicated by section line 5-5 of FIGURE 3; and

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged fragmentary transverse vertical sectional viewtaken substantially upon a plane indicated by section line 66 of FIGURE2.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings, the numeral 10generally designates the air-propelled boat of the instant invention.

As can best be seen from FIGURES l, 3 and 6 of the drawings the boat 10includes an air-tight bottom assembly generally referred to by thereference numeral 12 including a bottom member 14 and a false bottom 16in vertically spaced relation above the bottom member 14. A plurality oflongitudinal stringers or partitions 18 are interconnected between thebottom member 14 and false bottom 16. From FIGURE 4 of the drawings itmay be seen that the false bottom 16 curves upwardly in the bow sectionof the boat 10 which is generally referred to by the reference numeral20.

The boat 10 includes a pair of opposite side assemblies 22 and 24 whichinclude inner and outer walls 26 and 28 interconnected at their upperand lower ends by means of an upper wall 30 and a V-shaped bottom 32.The remote partitions 18 form continuations of the inner walls 26disposed below the false bottom 16 and a plurality of vertically spacedpartitions 34 are secured between the inner and outer walls 26 and 28with the lowermost of each partition 34 forming a side extension of thefalse bottom 16.

The lowermost partitions 34 each also includes a rear extension 36 whileeach of the top walls 30 includes a rear extension 38. Each pair ofcorresponding extentions 36 and 38 oscillatably supports a rudder member40 therebetween and each of the rudder members 40 includes a pair ofcontrol arms 44 to which a pair of control cables 46 are secured.

The rear end of the bottom assembly 12 is closed by means of a rearpanel 48 and a rear gate 50 is pivotally supported between the sideassemblies 22 and 24 by means of a pair of opposite side hingeassemblies 52. The hinge assemblies 52 mount the rear or end gate 50 foroscillation about a horizontal axis extending transversely of the boatbetween the side assemblies 22 and 24 thereof and it is to be understoodthat the rear or end gate 50 may be swung from the substantially uprightclosed position illustrated in FIGURE 1 of the drawings to a horizontalposition with its upper edge portion disposed rearmost. It is hereincontemplated that the rear or end gate 50 could be slightly rearwardlyand downwardly inclined so as to form a ramp for retrieving objectsdisposed in the water rearwardly of the boat 10.

From FIGURES l and 3 of the drawings it may be seen that a front wall 56is secured between the forward ends of the inner walls 26 and that thefront wall 56 includes a false section 58 which is generally V-shaped inhorizontal section with its apex disposed forwardmost. A pair of airpump assemblies 60 in the form of aircraft engines having air propellers62 mounted on the drive shafts thereof are supported from mountingbrackets 64 carried by the false front wall 58. The bow sectiontherefore defines an inlet chamber 56 below the upper edges of the outerwalls 28 and it may be seen from FIGURES 1, 3, 4 and 5 of the drawingsthat the inlet chamber 66 opens upwardly of the bow section 20 and iscovered by means of a protective screen 68 secured in an opening 70formed in a removable bow section top wall 72 secured between theforward ends of the outer walls 28.

The opposite side assemblies 22 and 24 define branch passages whoseforward ends are communicated with the inlet chamber 66 in which the airpump means 60 are disposed. Accordingly, upon operation of the air pumpmeans 60, air will be drawn through a screen-like panel 68 and forcedrearwardly through the branch passages defined between the partitions 34and the inner and outer walls 26 and 28 of the side assemblies 22 and24. The rudder members are controllable by means of the steering wheel76 through the control cable 46 which are operatively connected to thesteering wheel 76 and it may be seen from FIGURE 6 of the drawings thatthe V- shaped bottom has a plurality of inwardly opening outlets 78formed therein. The forward ends of the lowermost partitions 34 haveopenings 80 formed therein with which flap valve members 82 areoperatively associated. The flap valve members 82 are pivotallysupported from the outer walls 28 by means of pivot fasteners 84 andhave actuating levers 86 secured thereto with control cables 88extending between the actuating levers 86 and a control lever 88supported from the front wall 56 adjacent the steering wheel 76.

Still further, it may be seen from FIGURES 1 and 3 of the drawings thatthe outer walls 28 have a pair of exhaust ports or openings 90 formedtherein. Each of the exhaust ports has a control flap 92 ofcorresponding size and shape pivotally supported therein for oscillationabout an upstanding axis and between various positions illustrated insolid and phantom lines in FIGURE 4 of the drawings.

With the control flaps 92 disposed as illustrated in solid lines inFIGURE 2 of the drawings, the exhaust ports 90 are of course closed andtherefore the prior discharge of air from the air pump means is directedrearwardly through the branch passage means defined by the sideassemblies 22 and 24 and also outwardly through the openings '78, if theflap valve member 82 is in the open position. However, should the flapvalve members 92 be pivoted to the positions illustrated by the phantomlines designated A in FIGURE 3 of the drawings, a portion of thedischarge of air from the air pump means 60 will be directed laterallyoutwardly of the exhaust ports 90. Still further, should the flap valvemembers 92 be pivoted to the phantom line positions illustrated as at Bin FIGURE 3 of the drawings, substantially all of the air dischargedfrom the air pump means 60, if the flap valve member 82 remains closed,will be laterally, outwardly and forwardly deflected so as to effect arearward thrust on the boat 10.

Each of the flap valve members 92 is operatively connected to a suitablefoot control 96 supported from the front wall 56 and therefore it may beseen that each of the fiat valve members 92 may be individuallyocsillated between the various positions illustrated in phantom andsolid lines in FIGURE 2 of the drawings. Still further, it may be seenthat the boat It) may be propelled in an oblique direction if the ruddermembers 40 are positioned as illustrated in FIGURE 1 of the drawings andthe left hand flap valve member 92 is positioned as indicated at A inFIGURE 3' of the drawings.

In operation, the air pump means 60 may be operated in the conventionalmanner and .the steering wheel 76 is utilized to oscillate the ruddermembers 40 in order to steer the boat 10 in the more conventionalmanner.

If it is desired to increase the lift on the boat 10, the flap valve 82may be pivoted to the open position such as that illustrated in phantomlines in FIGURE 6 of the drawings whereby a portion of the dischargefrom the air pump means 60 will be directed downwardly through theopening and into the lower portions of the side assemblies 22 and 24 andoutwardly through the openings 78. The V-shaped bottoms 32 and thestepped forward portion 98 of the bottom assembly 12 define a rearwardlyopening pocket 100 into which air being discharged through the dischargeopening 78 is pumped. Air pumped into the pocket 100 will of course bepartially entrapped by the stepped forward portion 98 and V-shapedbottoms 32 and therefore this air under pressure will effect a buoyantforce on the boat 10.

The direction of the boat 10 may also be controlled by the flap valvemembers 92 as hereinbefore set forth and the latter may also be utilizedto drive the boat 10 in reverse.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles ofthe invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes willreadily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limitthe invention to the exact construction and operation shown anddescribed, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalentsmay be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention asclaimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. An air propelled boat including a bottom section, a pair ofupstanding sides extending along and projecting upwardly from oppositelongitudinal edge portions of said bottom section and includinglongitudinally extending hollow portions disposed above said bottomsection, a bow section interconnecting the forward ends of said sides,portions of said bow section and said hollow portions of said sidesdefining air passage means including an inlet end portion in said bowsection and also a pair of branch passages defined by said hollowportions communicated with said inlet end portion at their forward endsand opening rearwardly through the rear end portions of said sides abovesaid bottom section, air pump means in said air passage means operableto pump air therethrough, said sides and said bow section each includingportions projecting slightly below said bottom section, said sidesincluding outlets communicated with said branch passages and openinginwardly through the portions of said sides which depend 'below saidbottom section.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said air passage means includesvalve means operable to selectively control communication of saidoutlets with said branch passages.

33. An air propelled boat including an elongated transversely extendingbottom section defining a cargo receiving area thereabove, a pair ofupstanding sides extending along and projecting upwardly from oppositelongitudinal edge portions of said bottom section, defining upstandingsides for said area' and including longitudinally.extending. hollowportions disposed above said bottom section, a

bow section interconnecting the forward ends of said sides, portions ofsaid bow'section and said hollow'por tions of said sides definingairpassage means including an inlet end portion in saidbow section andalso a pair of branch passages defined by said hollow portionscommunicated with said inlet end portion at their forward ends andopening rearwardly through the rear end portions of said sides abovesaid'bottom section, and air pump means in said air passage meansoperable to pump air therethrough.

4. The combination of claim 3 wherein said air passage means inlet endportion opens upwardly: through said bow section.

5. The combination of claim 3 including air flow control'means carriedby each of said sides and operable to controllably laterally deflect theair discharged from the read ends of said branch passages.

6. The combination of claim 3 wherein said sides include outwardlyopening exhaust ports adjacent the intersections of said branch passagesand said inlet end portion, and control flap means carried by each ofsaid sides and operable to selectively open and close said exhaustports.

7. An air-propelled boatincluding a bottom section, a pair of upstandingsides extending along and projecting upwardly from opposite longitudinaledge portions of said bottom section and including longitudinallyextending hollow portions disposed above said bottom section, a bowsection interconnecting the forward ends of said sides, portions of saidbow section and said hollow portions of said sides defining air passagemeans including an inlet end portion in said bow section and also a pairof branch passages defined by said hollow portions communicated withsaid inlet end portion at their forward ends and opening rearwardlythrough the rear end portions of said sides above said bottom section,and air pump means in said air passage means operable to pump airtherethrough, said sides including outwardly opening exhaust portsadjacent the intersections of said branch passages and said inlet endportion, and control flap means carried by each of said sides andoperable to selectively open and close said exhaust ports, said controlflap means includes means for selectively terminating communicationbetween said inlet end portion and said branch passages.

8. The combination of claim 7 wherein said control flap means alsoincludes means operable to simultaneously forwardly deflect thedischarge of air from said exhaust ports when said control flap meansare operating to terminate communication between said inlet end portionand said branch passages.

9. The combination of claim 3 wherein said sides include outwardlyopening exhaust ports adjacent the intersections of said branch passagesand said inlet end portion, and control flap means carried by each ofsaid sides and operable to selectively open and close said exhaustports, said control flap means including control means operable toindividually as well as simultaneously actuate said flap means.

10. The combination of claim 3 wherein said sides include outwardlyopening exhaust ports adjacent the intersections of said branch passagesand said inlet end portion, and control flap means carried by each ofsaid sides and operable to selectively open and close said exhaustports, said control flap means including panel like flap memberscomplementary to and disposed in said ports and supported foroscillation about upstanding axes passing through said flaps andextending along the approximate vertical center lines of said ports.

11. The combination of claim 3 wherein each of said branch passagesdefines a set of individual vertically 6. aligned passage sectionsextending longitudinallyof' the corresponding side of said boat.

12. An air propelled boat'including a bottom section, a pair ofupstanding sides extending-along and projecting upwardly from oppositelongitudinal edge portions ofsaid bottom section and includinglongitudinally extending hollow' portions disposed above said bottomsection, a bow section interconnecting the forward ends of said sides,portions of said bow section and said hollow portions of said sidesdefining air passage means including an inlet end portion in said howsection and'also a pair of branch passages defined by said'hollowportions communicated with said inlet end portion at their forward endsand opening rearwardly. through the rear end portions of said'sidesabovesaid bottom section, air pump means in said' air passage means operableto pump air therethrough, said sides and said bow section eachincluding: portions projecting slightly below said bottom section, saidsides including outlets communicated with said branch passages andopening inwardly through the portions of said sides which depend below.said bottom section, each of saidbranch passages defining a set ofindividual vertically aligned passage sections extending longitudinallyof the corresponding side of said boat, the lowermost passage section ofeach of said branch passages being directly communicated with saidoutlets, the inlet ends of the passage sections of each branch passageopening into said inlet end portion.

13. The combination of claim 12 wherein said boat includes valve meansoperatively associated with said inlet end portion and said lowermostpassage sections and operable to selectively control communication ofsaid lowermost passage sections with inlet end portion.

14. An air-propelled boat including a bottom section, a pair ofupstanding sides extending along and projecting upwardly from oppositelongitudinal edge portions of said bottom section and includinglongitudinally extending hollow portions disposed above said bottomsection, a bow section interconnecting the forward ends of said sides,portionsof said bow section and said hollow portions of said sidesdefining air passage means including an inlet end portion in said bowsection and also a pair of branch passages defined by said hollowportions communicated with said inlet end portion at their forward endsand opening rearwardly through the rear end portions of said sides abovesaid bottom section, air pump means in said air passage means operableto pump air therethrough, said bottom section being buoyant and saidboat including an upstanding rear gate pivotally secured to said bottomsection for swinging movement about an axis extending along the lowerand rear edge portions of said gate and said bottom section between anupstanding position extending between the rear end portions of saidsides and a horizontal position providing ready access to the interiorof said boat above said bottom section and between said sides.

15. The combination of claim 14 wherein said sides and said bow sectioneach projecting slightly below said bottom section, said sides includingoutlets communicated with said branch passages and opening inwardlythrough the portions of said sides which depend below said bottomsection.

16. The combination of claim 15 wherein said air passage means includesvalve means operable to selectively control communication of saidoutlets with said branch passages.

17. The combination of claim 16 including air flow control means carriedby each of said sides and operable to controllably laterally deflect theair discharged from the rear ends of said branch passages.

18. The combination of claim 17 wherein said sides include outwardlyopening exhaust ports adjacent the intersections of said branch passagesand said inlet end portion, and control flap means carried by each ofsaid sides and operable to selectively open and close said exhaustports.

19. The combination of claim 18 wherein said control flap means includesmeans for selectively terminating communication between said inlet endportion and said branch passages.

20. The combination of claim 19 wherein said control fiap means alsoincludes means operable to simultaneously forwardly deflect thedischarge of air from said exhaust ports when said control flap meansare operating to terminate communication between said inlet end portionand said branch passages.

21. The combination of claim 3 wherein said inlet end portion of saidair passage means includes rearwardly divergent portions communicatedwith the forward ends of said branch passages, said sides includingoutwardly opening exhaust ports aligned with the ends of said divergentportions communicated with said branch passages, and control flap meanscarried by each of said sides and operable to selectively open and closesaid exhaust ports.

22. The combination of claim 21 wherein said control flap means includespanel-like flap members complementary to and disposed in said ports andsupported for oscillation about upstanding axes passing through saidflap and extending along the approximate vertical centerlines of saidports.

23. The combination of claim 3 wherein said boat includes an upstandingrear gate pivotally secured to said bottom section for swinging movementabout an axis extending along the lower and rear edge portions of saidgate and bottom section between an upstanding position extending betweenthe rear end portions of said sides and a horizontally disposed positionproviding ready access to said cargo receiving area of said boat abovesaid bottom section disposed between said sides.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,792,031 2/1931Price. 2,322,790 6/ 1943 Cristadoro ll467 2,663,276 12/1953 Ouellet114-67 2,842,084 7/1958 Williams ll467 X 2,993,462 7/1961 Gough ll467 X3,191,568 6/1965 Schroeder et a1. 11443.5 X 3,198,274 8/1965 Cocksedgell467 X 3,205,847 9/1965 Smith ll467 MILTON BUCHLER, Primary Examiner.

FERGUS S. MIDDLETON, Examinen.

T. M. BLIX, Assistant Examiner.

1. AN AIR PROPELLED BOAT INCLUDING A BOTTOM SECTION, A PAIR OF UPSTANDING SIDES EXTENDING ALONG AND PROJECTING UPWARDLY FROM OPPOSITE LONGITUDINAL EDGE PORTIONS OF SAID BOTTOM SECTION AND INCLUDING LONGITUDINALY EXTENDING HOLLOW PORTIONS DISPOSED ABOVE SAID BOTTOM SECTION, A BOW SECTION INTERCONNECTING THE FORWARD ENDS OF SAID SIDES, PORTIONS OF SAID BOW SECTION AND SAID HOLLOW PORTIONS OF SAID SIDES DEFINING AIR PASSAGE MEANS INCLUDING AN INLET END PORTION IN SAID BOW SECTION AND ALSO A PAIR OF BRANCH PASSAGES DEFINED BY SAID HOLLOW PORTIONS COMMUNICATED WITH SAID INLET END PORTION AT THEIR FORWARD ENDS AND OPENING REARWARDLY THROUGH THE REAR END PORTIONS OF SAID SIDES ABOVE SAID BOTTOM SECTION, AIR PUMP MEANS IN SAID AIR PASSAGE MEANS OPERABLE TO PUMP AIR THERETHROUGH, SAID SIDES AND SAID BOW SECTION EACH INCLUDING PORTIONS PROJECTING SLIGHTLY BELOW SAID BOTTOM SECTIONS, SAID SIDES INCLUDING OUTLETS COMMUNICATED WITH SAID BRANCH PASSAGES AND OPENING INWARDLY THROUGH THE PORTIONS OF SAID SIDES WHICH DEPEND BELOW SAID BOTTOM SECTION. 